Short answer: The AI receptionists we checked start between $29 and $150 a month. On the vendors’ own pages in October 2026, Jobber’s add-on was $29, RingCentral’s started at $49 standalone, Goodcall at $79 and Smith.ai’s AI plan at $150. A receptionist’s median pay in the US is $38,010 a year.
What AI receptionists cost in October 2026
| Product | Starting price | Included | Extra use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobber Receptionist | $29 a month, added to Jobber Core, Connect or Grow; part of the Plus plan | Calls and texts, books visits in Jobber | Not listed |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | $49 a month alone, $39 added to RingEX | 100 minutes | $0.50 a minute, billed in 30-second steps |
| Goodcall | $79 a month (Starter) | 100 unique callers | 79¢ per extra caller |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $150 a month (Pro); a free tier covers 25 calls | 75 calls | $2.50 per extra call |
Sources: Jobber, RingCentral, Goodcall, Smith.ai. Prices change; check the page on the day you buy.
Four ways they charge
- Per minute. RingCentral counts minutes and rounds each call up to the next 30 seconds, so a 70-second call is billed as 90 (RingCentral).
- Per call. Smith.ai counts calls, so a long call costs the same as a short one.
- Per unique caller. Goodcall counts people, so one customer calling three times counts once (Goodcall).
- Flat add-on. Jobber adds the receptionist to software you already pay for (Jobber).
Which model is cheapest depends on your calls. Short, frequent calls favor per-minute plans; long calls favor per-call plans; repeat callers favor per-caller plans.
Work out your monthly cost
Count the calls it would take
Only the calls nobody answers: overflow and after hours. Count a week of missed calls and multiply by four.
Estimate how long they last
Taking a name, address and problem usually takes a couple of minutes. Check a few real calls.
Apply the plan
Base price, plus anything over the included amount.
Example: 60 calls a month at 2 minutes each is 120 minutes. On RingCentral’s standalone plan that’s $49 for the first 100 minutes plus 20 × $0.50 = $59, a little more after rounding.
Compared with hiring someone
The median pay for a receptionist in the US was $38,010 a year in May 2025, or $18.27 an hour (BLS). That’s about $3,170 a month in wages before payroll taxes and benefits.
The comparison isn’t one for one. A good office person books jobs, calms upset customers, chases invoices and knows your techs. An AI receptionist covers what one person can’t: nights, weekends and three calls at once. You can keep your office person and point the AI at overflow.
When it pays for itself
If one extra booked job a month is worth more than the plan, the numbers work. For a $79 plan and a $300 repair, one job covers it with room to spare.
It’s a weaker buy if you rarely miss calls, or if most of your callers are existing customers who expect to reach the same person every time.
Questions
Is there a free AI receptionist?
Some vendors have free tiers. Smith.ai’s free AI plan covers 25 calls a month, with extra calls at $3 each (Smith.ai).
Can an AI receptionist book appointments?
Some can. Jobber’s receptionist books visits using your online booking settings and can transfer urgent calls to you based on keywords you choose (Jobber).
Do I need a new phone number?
Usually not. Most AI receptionists answer calls forwarded from your existing number. See Can AI answer phone calls for my business?.
How we handle it
Overflow and after-hours answering is an add-on to our plan. We set it up on your number, write its answers with you, and check its calls every month.